Françoise Élisabeth Marguerite Zéphyrine de Pardaillan de Gondrin
Françoise Élisabeth Marguerite Zéphyrine de Pardaillan de Gondrin (26th August 1738 - Présent) was the youngest daughter of Philippe de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Monsieur le Marquis de Montespan and Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Madame la Marquise de Montespan. Tall and voluptuous, with masses of onyx hair, slanting, heavy-lidded turquoise eyes, translucent skin, and a sensuous, sulky mouth, Zéphyrine unquestionably oozed sexuality. Indeed she was an intoxicating creature. Greedy, clever, sensual, demanding, temperamental, and charming, Zéphyrine lived for pleasure; dancing and gambling till dawn. She had a scathing wit and a well-rounded chest which men could "beat like a kettledrum." Born in 1738 at Le Château d'Argenteuil, Mademoiselle de Moncontour was more than beautiful; she was seductive in everything. Immensely proud of her Rochechouart lineage, her antagonism was based on a mix of vanity, pride and her insecurity of her dicey illegitimate origins. Beauty embraced her wherever she could find it and was known to easily yield to the sweet violence with which it swept her along. Biography Birth Françoise Élisabeth Marguerite Zéphyrine de Pardaillan de Gondrin was born on the 26th August 1738 and baptised the same day at Le Château d'Argenteuil, in the Seine-et-Oise département in Grandelumière. Zéphyrine (named after St Zephyrinus, on whose feast day she was born, though she would always sign Isabelle.), or more formally, Mademoiselle de Moncontour, possessed the blood of the oldest, wealthiest, and most distinguished noble families in all Grandelumière, Les Rochechouart de Mortemart, which she received through Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart. Les Pardaillan de Gondrin, with their origins in Gascogne and overall irrelevance, was a little less distinguished. Eight children were born to them between 1730 and 1737, Louis Victor, Marquis d'Antin, Louis Chrétien Hercules, Marquis de Mézière, Madeline Clémence, Mademoiselle de Rocques, Marie-Gabrielle Adélaïde, Mademoiselle de Gouft, Auguste Marie Valentin, Baron de Pardaillan, Charles André, Baron de Gondrin, and Louis Fontaine Philippe, Baron de Termes. All children were a cause of suspicion to Monsieur de Montespan. Each delivery brought up a new rumour about whom the true parent was. The common assumption was that Zéphyrine was the love-child between Gabrielle and Philippe de Grandelumière, Monsieur, le Duc d'Orléans. Childhood Madame de Montespan passed in December 1738 and Monsieur de Montespan departed to take part in the "Ten Years War." Zéphyrine was placed into the care of a nursemaid and was sent to the rather dismal Château de Montespan in the commune of Montespan in the département of Languedoc. Between there and Le Château de Bonnefont, Zéphyrine experienced a bleak and uneventful childhood. Occasionally they all travelled to Paris to visit le Cardinal Mortemart (Archevêque de Paris) who kept a small allowance aside to assist the "poor relations." When each child reached adulthood, they were sent North to receive their education which was funded by Cardinal Mortemart. Zéphyrine was twelve when she entered Le Couvent de Poissy, in the département of Yvelines, where she joined elder sisters Clémence and Adélaïde. There the young women learned reading, calligraphy, a little calculation and mathematics, rudiments of liturgical Latin, spelling, home economics, needlework, and especially lessons in morality and good behaviour, not to mention the learning of religious devotion. Adolescence Zéphyrine departed the convent when she was fifteen. With Clémence and Adélaïde, Zéphyrine resided in modest lodgings along La Rue Taranne, on the left bank of the Seine in Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. Although their residence was quite respectable, the quarter was beginning to supersede to more à la mode locations as the main fashionable aristocratic area. Monsieur de Montespan loathed Zéphyrine. He saw le Marquise written all over her ("La pomme n'est pas tombée loin de l'arbre"). She was indeed a gorgeous child, who absorbed everything from her Rochechouart lineage. Watching Zéphyrine grow, who was equipped with much charm, beauty, and freshness, caused Montespan great anguish. This paranoia - possibly well deserved, "telle mère telle fille" - created a considerable amount of stress and hostility between the family. In an effort to quell the bitterness, Zéphyrine was kicked out and sent to reside in an endless stream of inadequate residences with her shrewd Gondrin relations. Zéphyrine frequented Le Marais district in Paris, becoming acquainted with the fashionable and acclaimed. Among her new acquaintances were: François-Marie Arouet, Monsieur le Baron de Montesquieu, Monsieur le Marquis de Livry, Monsieur de Billy, Monsieur de Madame de Montchesne, Monsieur de Baye, Louis-François-Armand du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain Marivaux, Horace Walpole, le curé de Courdimanche, paroisse du château; Charles-Jean-François Hénault, François d'Aubusson, Duc de la Feuillade; Monsieur de Bonneval, Mademoiselle de Clermont; Jean-Baptiste Berthelot de Duchy intendant des Invalides; l'ambassadeur François Sanguin, Abbé de Livry; Monsieur Delaistre et Denis Dodart; Jean-Alphonse de Blois de Penthièvre, Comte de Guingamp, Louis-Paul Jules de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Comte de Limoges, and Louis-Alexandre Hercules de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquis de Montpipeau, and Louis-Étienne de Blois de Soissons, Prince de Conti. It was not a suprise that being surrounded by such louche and licentious men, Zéphyrine was, in the common euphemism, "déflorée" during her time at Le Marais. Though Zéphyrine had not been formally presented at court, she was able to attend due to her connections with Montpipeau, Limoges, and numerous other male acquaintances. Personality and Appearance Personality As powerful as her charms were, her personality was able to dominate them. Some personality traits include her lack of couth at public functions, her personal ambitions, her arrogance (undoubtedly gifted from Madame de Montespan) and from her father - the tendency to spend like there was no tomorrow. One description of her was a "tigresse humaine." Zéphyrine was no bimbo, (which were a common presence at Argenteuil), she was exuberant, amusing, and an intelligent girl with a great talent for words, the famous "L'esprit Mortemart" which she received from Madame de Montespan. The Rochechouart de Mortemart were much acclaimed for their perceptive humour, a witty manner of speech, their general smartness of the mind, their ability to access a situation quickly and to put it into words that sound pleasant although they might insult. Their words were sharp and amusing untruths preferred over truths, their conversation was daring and provoking, yet so charmingly delivered and phrased that it was almost an art. Appearance Zéphyrine was marvellously attractive. Her hair was thick, onyx-coloured hair which flourished naturally about her person when she was undressed and exposed. Her eyes were a generous size, languorously slanted and turquoise. Zéphyrine was also blessed with a curvaceously voluptuous figure which bestowed an imperious air about her appearance. Confidence was essential with Mlle de Moncontour. She held immense pride in her distinguished heritage and was well aware that she was beautiful. So were her contemporaries. Dauphin-Auguste wrote that Zéphyrine possessed no less than "flawless beauty." Sophie Thérèse, Madame la Marquise de Vivonne was no exceptional acquaintance; nevertheless, she admitted that she had "beautiful hair, fine arms, shapely hands, a very pretty mouth, and a winning smile." Cardinal Mortemart (L’Eminence Rouge) showed no compassion: "I am inclined to believe children to be the most innocent of God's creatures, but one cannot help but to see the sin of the parents written all over her." ''He went on to add "If there is something wrong with the Bitch then there will be something wrong with the Pup''." Zéphyrine lacked a lavish bosom when confined to the inflexible and quite "old-fashioned" robe à la Grandelumière. The fashionable clothes worn by the circle belonging to the Dauphin allowed her proud bosom to be well presented, much to his glee and satisfaction. Her attire was commonly decorated with organic-flowers at the flounce. Her décolleté neckline was always worn bare, however, around her neck she wore ruffled ribbons with frivolous bows. Her hair was decorated with organic-flowers and was held back up in a simple fashion. Her shoes were a dainty size 4. Titles, Styles, and Honours * '''26th August 1738 - Présent '''Mademoiselle de Moncontour Category:Grandelumierian Nobility Category:House Pardaillan de Gondrin Category:18th Century Births Category:Births at Argenteuil